The Butterfly Effect
by KyraReid
Summary: Set four years after The Ripple Effect. Koka has begun setting her plans into motion. Just as a ripple can cause a cascading effect, so too can the wind from a butterfly's wing.
1. Chapter 1

" _Once upon a time, in a faraway land of a different time, there lived a girl named Emily Stone. The world she lived in was strange, far different from the one we live in. There the people moved around in metal constructs, driving them to and from destinations. Some machines could even fly. The people of Emily's world had no chakra, and thus no shinobi._

 _Emily as a young girl had dreamed of being a teacher. Now in this world, called New York, children attend school until they turn eighteen. After this period, some choose to join the military or go straight into working. Even more choose to gain a higher education for better jobs. Emily was one such girl. For three years Emily attended college before tragedy struck. On her way home it had begun to snow. But so desperate to return, Emily continued her travels._

 _Unable to see, Emily did not see the ice covering the road. As she drove over it, her vehicle slid, leaving the road before hitting a tree. When rescuers finally reached the accident, Emily was no longer there."_

 _Koka looked up to see the wide eyed Naruto and Sasuke. Instantly the two boys were clamoring for her attention._

" _Nee-chan! Where did Emily go? What happens to the rest of the story?!" Koka smiled._

" _She went on an adventure."_

 **Four Years Later**

Koka sat at her desk writing out reports for the shrine. Heiwa was out with Kaede visiting with a family in need of help. Naruto and Sasuke were at the academy, while Kakashi and Shisui were on a mission. Itachi was on one as well, but she predicted he would be returning momentarily.

In the four years that had passed since Naruto joined their family, many things had changed. Naruto and Sasuke had both joined the academy, forming a friendship and competing against each other. Kaede had begun taking over the tasks around the shrine that Heiwa was beginning to find difficult. Itachi had joined ANBU under Kakashi while Shisui had joined the Police, even as tensions between the Uchiha and the village continued to rise.

Koka and Kaede had both mastered their dances and continued to walk along their paths as shrine maidens as they continued to train. The shrine had been visited by the Hokage several times, as the old man learned of who had taken Naruto in. The village head had said nothing in complaint, even going as far as to praise the maidens at the shrine. The advisers and Danzo were a different story.

While the two advisers held little threat, Koka was wary about Danzo. The man would be a problem later on and a grave hindrance for the girl. The three shinobi of the shrine always grew tense when he began poking around. For now though, Koka could do nothing. Her main concern was the events that would be unfolding within the year.

The light sound of feet landing on the engawa had Koka pause in her writing. Itachi always took care to make his presence known to her when he returned. Seconds later the sliding door was opened and Itachi stepped into the study room.

Though he now donned the standard ANBU uniform, little had changed in Itachi. His hair was longer and the lines under his eyes deeper, but little else had changed aside from his height and strength.

"Welcome back." Itachi's eyes flicked up to hers, a light smile on his mouth.

"I'm back."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hellllllllo lovelies. It's been a while! How is everyone doing? Back by popular demand I have returned to this story! Though updates will not be as fast as my main story I've been working on, Indigo Leaves, I'll be working on this one once again!**

 **Just a quick age review since it's been so long. Naruto and Sasuke: 7,** **Koka: 12,** **Itachi: 13,** **Shisui: 16,** **Kaede: 17,** **Kakashi: 21,** **Heiwa: 65**

* * *

Koka rose to her feet, picking up the papers and scrolls. She began walking towards the door and Itachi fell into step beside her. He looked curiously at the papers in her hands.

"Reports? You've had a lot of those recently."

Koka nodded absently as they entered the records room. "Heiwa is getting old, sitting long enough to write them out strains her back and eyes. Kaede has been making house calls more often now that summer is here."

The blue eyed girl began placing them on various shelves based on topic and time.

"Summer?" Itachi placed a scroll on one of the higher shelves as Koka handed it to him.

"Most children are born around this time of year. House blessings, infant blessings and the like are in high demand." Itachi nodded his understanding.

"Tea before the kids are home?" Koka received a second nod and had to bite down a smile. While Itachi loved his brother and his friend, the two were loud and wore on the normally peaceful shinobi.

The two of them made their way to the kitchen.

* * *

Itachi snuck another glance at the girl beside him. After tea and changing, she had insisted on coming with him to get the boys from the academy. He was not complaining, Koka had a knack for getting in trouble and he always felt better having her in sight. But seeing her venture out of the shrine to the busier parts of the village was rare. As the council had begun poking their noses into the shrine, her ventures had grown to be even fewer. But Koka remained looking unworried, easing the tension Itachi felt.

Eventually the academy come into sight and the two waited by the gate. They were a little early but other parents were beginning to show up as well. It was only a matter of minutes before the students were released.

Naruto and Sasuke were some of the first ones out of the building, seemingly racing each other. Both of their faces lit up at the sight of who was waiting for them. Itachi smiled as the two nearly crashed into him in their haste. The looks other people were giving Naruto were ignored as the boys demanded Itachi's attention.

"Nii-san! You're back!"

"Aniki! Welcome back!"

"Did you save any princesses? Were there monsters?"

"Did you beat up all the bad guys?"

Koka watched the three of them while Itachi tried to answer the bombardment of questions. She let her gaze sweep across the yard briefly before corralling the two younger boys, much to Itachi's immense, if only temporary, relief.

"It's time to go home. You can pester him later."

* * *

"What's bothering you?" Koka glanced up from the dinner she was making for the shrine. Itachi stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Kaede had returned shortly after they had, coercing the boys into doing their school work while Heiwa moved to her study.

Her eyes returned to the food she was preparing, stirring and flipping over the stir fry.

"I'm thinking." Itachi waited for more but nothing came. He sighed and moved into the kitchen more, leaning against a nearby counter. His eyes never left his quiet friend. While he had grown used to the quiet puzzle Koka was, there were times when it frustrated him. Part curiosity and part worry with the desire to help.

"My family needs protecting, but this time, it is not the protection a shinobi can bring." Itachi looked at his friend in alarm, but was cut off from saying anything.

"Mah, I don't know if I should be offended or worried." Kakashi said in a light hearted tone as he strolled into the kitchen casually, though his visible eye was serious.

"Be offended. Your people skills are terrible." Koka told him as she checked on the rice.

"I'm afraid I have to agree." Kaede entered the kitchen, a now present Shisui and the children following like laughing ducklings.

"Insulted by one lady and the other agrees. I think my heart broke a little." Kakashi slumped into a chair, causing the two younger boys to laugh even louder.

"Are your friends coming over tonight?" Kaede changed the subject as she spoke with Kakashi. The silver haired man shook his head.

"Gai's off training and Tenzo is on a mission." The two off them had become frequent visitors to the shrine in the recent years. Kaede had made it her mission to coerce Tenzo into joining the shrine family after learning of his past. The older brunet found himself weakening every day to her demands.

Kaede frowned but nodded her head and began counting plates, handing them to Sasuke and Naruto so the younger ones could start setting the table.

"Shisui, will you get Heiwa?" The boy in question saluted and spouted out a 'yes ma'am', before darting off, causing Kaede to giggle.

Heiwa entered the room a few minutes later, followed closely by Shisui, who pulled out a chair for her to sit at. As Koka began to dish up the food, Kaede ensured the two young ones of the group washed their hands.

* * *

"Sorry for leaving Sasuke with you again." Itachi apologized as he and Shisui put their shoes on. Koka and Kaede stood nearby, seeing them.

"Clan business is clan business. Besides, he's not much trouble." Kaede reassured them with a smile. The two Uchiha stood with a nod and turned to leave. They got a few feet away before Koka spoke out.

"Tonight, watch your words." Both spun around to see Koka and Kaede watching them, unreadable expressions on the girls' faces. The full moon peaked out from behind the clouds, giving Kaede's blond hair a silver shine while Koka's black hair looked even darker. Neither boys could form a response on the unexpected words and the look they were receiving. Then, just like that, the moment was over.

"Have a safe trip." The shrine maidens gave a small bow and returned inside, leaving Itachi and Shisui no choice but to continue on their way.

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 _ **Read. Review. Follow. If you're desperate for more reading at a faster pace, check out my story Indigo Leaves! It's a collaboration I'm working on with two of my younger siblings.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long loves. I've been busy and working Leaves of Indigo, but I'm trying to get back in the swing of things here with this. There is so much coming up in this story, I'm excited! See you in a few days, until then, read, review, and follow!**

* * *

Koka and Kaede watched as Itachi and Shisui left towards their meeting. Being outside of the clan, the girls were not supposed to know about the meetings but there was nothing that could be hidden from Koka, and through her, Kaede.

"Tonight is going to be a rough night for them I think." Kaede looked at her younger counterpart in question, but Koka was already moving back towards the shrine. She moved to catch up.

"You think so?"

"I know so. It's time to begin preparing." Kaede sighed and looked up at the moon one last time before closing the door.

"I'll make some tea." She wandered down the hall towards the kitchen while Koka moved towards her study. The older girl had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

She and Koka had spent years preparing for the inevitable future. Being a shrine maiden was not an easy task in this world, and with so few Ninshu shrines left, traveling outside the village would happen eventually. To add to it, befriending shinobi always came with its own set of danger by way of enemy nin. Being connected to well-known and powerful shinobi like the Uchiha and Kakashi only tripled that. But the threat the girls were getting ready to face down was not from an outside source. Rather it was from the village itself.

Kaede knew who Danzo was. Koka had educated her very well on the opponents they would be facing. There was very little about the upcoming times that Kaede was not filled in on. She knew what the consequences of failure were. Koka had told her of everything that could go wrong. There were many bad endings, and only one good ending.

Kaede picked up the tea from the stove and poured cups for herself and Koka before lifting the tray. They were going to need it for the night.

* * *

Koka riffled through her scrolls, looking over information while she waited for Kaede's arrival. Already she had drawn the curtains on the windows of the study and placed seals on the windowsills to prevent any possible intruder from overhearing anything. They had been a gift from Kakashi recently, and though the shinobi would not say where he had gotten them from, Koka new the creation to be Jiraya's. The girl had met him once while Minato and Kushina had been alive.

Kaede entered the study as Koka flipped through a calendar. It was one of many in the shrine, but this one was kept in a secret compartment in her desk. On it were events that had not happened yet but one day would. The girls used it to track events. Blue eyes skimmed over crossed off and recent events.

"I think things will begin to come to a head sooner than we had expected." Koka told Kaede as the blond set up the tea. She hummed as she thought.

"We don't stand a chance against in a fight. Not with the way we are now. If it were even a year from now, we might be ok, but right now we don't stand a chance. Not against shinobi."

Koka nodded as she joined Kaede at the table. "I've already thought of that. Tenzo will join us any day now at the shrine. With him and Kakashi we will be able to run interception. Guy will be a nice bonus too. The three of them should be able to keep Danzo off Itachi and Shisui long enough for us to do our part."

"Our part relies on the Third believing both us and the scroll from the Fourth. And then there is the possibility of them taking you away. You already know they will use you however they can. I know that, and I don't have your abilities."

Koka nodded, unmoved by the thoughts. "I know. We will have to tread carefully. Now, let's begin."

Kaede sighed but pulled a pile of blank papers towards her along with a pen. A pen would be considerably quicker than an ink brush. She could copy it later into ink for storage if things came to pass pleasantly. The girls had been working on Koka's visions for a long time now and had developed a method of recording them in a way. Koka had become skilled enough to hold a vision while being aware of her physical self. As she witnessed her vision, she would describe what she saw and Kaede would write it down word for word.

Holding a vision for so long and drawing it out not only slowed down what Koka saw, giving her more details, but it also opened the gateway for more possible outcomes. Very rarely were they all pleasant. It was a give and take that had at times taken too much out of Koka, leaving her bedridden and weak. It was hard to hide what they were doing from the boys of the shrine.

Koka took a deep breath and felt deep within herself, searching. She found the power, feeling its ripples as it moved like water in her mind, and dove in. Her eyes snapped open, glowing ethereally and began. Kaede immediately set to work.

" _Red eyes, ten…"_

* * *

Kaede yawned as she rubbed her sore hand. The girls had been working for a few hours at a fast pace and her hand was tired. They had opted to take a break and Kaede had taken the chance to prepare more tea. She watched the water boil before another thought occurred to her.

"I should make cups for the boys..." Her words trailed off as she moved the cabinet and reached for two more cups. She frowned as only the tips of her fingers brushed against them. The remaining cups in had been pushed to the back, nearly out of her reach. Kaede raised herself to her toes and reached, only to start when another hand reached over hers, easily plucking two cups from the interior.

At the same time, an arm latched around her waist firmly, preventing her from turning. The cups were set on the counter and Kaede felt the person bury their face in her hair. Kaede attempted to crane her head to peer at them.

"Shisui?" The arm around her tightened slightly.

"Sorry, just a little bit longer." Kaede paused before turning more forcefully, making him loosen his grip as she turned and face him. Before he could pull away, Kaede stepped into his space, wrapping her own arms around his waist as she rested her forehead against his chest. She felt the shinobi in her arms freeze before he pulled her in tighter.

"Isn't this better?"

The reply came whispered against her hair, "Yeah."

She did not need Koka's gift to know Shisui's sharingan was blazing, upset as he was. Just as she knew Itachi was most likely seeking out the younger girl as well. Things were beginning to move, and it was only a matter of time before the fragile peace they lived in was shattered. Nothing would ever be the same for them again.

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 **READ. REVIEW. FOLLOW.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: SO when I said a few days, I meant almost a year. Sorry loves, but here is the next chapter. Your reviews are what prompt me to do more and work harder. I truly do appreciate them. So, once again. READ. REVIEW. FOLLOW.**

* * *

Koka rubbed her eyes, feeling a migraine pulsing behind them and in her temple. She had been training herself, holding visions longer and longer on command, but the headaches always came back. The blue eyed girl stilled however, when a second pair of hands were placed on her temples.

Tensing briefly, Koka relaxed more as Itachi's fingers made soothing circular motions, easing the tension there. She sighed in appreciation, dropping her hands. Blue eyes met spinning red ones. Itachi's own hands stilled as smaller, softer ones cupped his own. Carefully he drew her forward until Koka was pressed against his chest, tucking her head under his chin. With one hand he held her, the other resumed its place on her head.

Koka did not ask what had happened, and he did not say. Just as he did not ask what she had been doing and she did not speak of it. They knew, without words, what the other had been doing and why. In their own respective ways, the two were fighting for their futures.

* * *

Kaede was not sure how long she and Shisui held each other, but eventually the tea kettle let out a whistle, jarring her. The Uchiha huffed a small laugh into her hair, causing the blond to scowl and swatted at his chest. The laugh was louder this time as he moved out of her reach before the hit landed.

Shisui brought the kettle over to the cups and poured in the hot water as Kaede spooned in the tea. While she was well versed in making tea properly, the group often used ground up brews to save time.

Arms were around her waist again she Kaede gently stirred the drinks and she allowed it to happen. Shisui had always been tactile, even when they were younger. Usually it was small things, the occasional brush of the hand against her own, sweeping hair out of her face and light touches to the center of her back. Always careful and gentle but almost as if he was reassuring himself she was there.

Occasionally, however, they were different. After long missions or particularly hard ones there had been times he had come sweeping in, startling her with his sudden appearance. Those times he would pull her against him, holding her close as he buried his face in her hair. The holds were tight but never enough to hurt. Once, though, it had been different.

* * *

It had been only a few months ago and she never told Koka about it and the younger girl never brought it up. It was one of the few times in her life Koka had not foreseen. Kaede had finished a house call to a new mother. The call had gone on late, with the new mother having been worried and unsure about being able to care for the baby properly. Kaede had stayed and appeased the woman's fears, showing her tricks and things she herself had picked up in her life at the shrine.

When Kaede finally left, the sun had long since disappeared and the air had begun to chill. Kaede had set off towards the shrine, but only a few minutes into the journey, the hairs on her neck began to tingle. She began to pick up the pace but as she passed by an ally, rough hands had reached out, grabbing her and pulling her into the shadowed ally. She had struggled, kicking and trying to scream but there was a hand over her mouth as more pulled at her hair and her kimono. Kaede kicked something solid even as she managed to bite down hard on the hand over her mouth. There was cursing but her her own scream was cut short by a blow to the side of her head. It did not knock her out but it had been enough to daze her. Hands started pulling at her again when suddenly she was released.

Kaede clutched the front of her kimono, it having been loosened in the the struggle. She watched in rapt awe as the men, five of them, who had grabbed her, were brutally and efficiently dropped by Shisui. He held back, but barely. The men who fell did not rise back up, even though they still lived. It was over just as fast as it had begun.

When Shisui walked over to her, the shrine maiden could only stare up at his blazing eyes before he crouched down before her. Wordlessly, Kaede had been lifted into his arms and moments later they were back at the shrine in her own room. She had been let down to her feet, but still dizzy from the hit and of kilter from the speed at which they had moved, Kaede had stumbled, falling into Shisui's chest as he caught her. He had tensed but when she had clutched his front tightly, Shisui had wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

Kaede trembled in his arms as tears began to fall. She sobbed into his chest.

"I was so scared." She cried and he tried to sooth her. "I couldn't get away and I thought no one was would find me and I was so scared."

With one arm, Shisui had released her and held her chin, tipping back her head so he could see her face. Kaede looked into his swirling sharingan in surprise.

"I will always find you. I swear, Kaede, by all that there is, I will always, always, come for you." And then warm lips had sealed over hers. After a surprised moment, Kaede sunk into it, closing her eyes and she reciprocate the gesture.

She had shivered when his hand ghosted over the side of her neck and he released her. Her Kimono had slipped, still messed up from the struggle and exposed her shoulder. As tender as always he had placed a light kiss on her shoulder before adjusting the kimono so that it covered her properly once more. When Kaede had smiled at him, Shisui once again cupped her cheek.

* * *

Since then, neither the shrine maiden or the shinobi brought up the incident or the kiss, but neither of them danced around it either. Their bond remained as steady and true as always. The touches had returned to light, almost non existent brushes and reassurances. But every now and then when Kaede was making house calls, or even late at night when she knew Shisui was busy, she would sense his presence. Just the slightest brush on the edge of her senses, but enough to know he was there.

Now she relaxed against him, teaspoon still in hand as she thought about their encounter months ago, and about what the upcoming future held. Setting down the spoon, Kaede turned in Shisui's arms, just like earlier. She cupped his face in one hand.

"Shisui, you know, no matter what, I will always be there for you too." She was rewarded with grateful eyes and warm lips on her own.

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 **Review my lovelies, you give me strength for the up coming fights.**


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